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Mobile gaming has come a long way in the past few years, and now we can finally enjoy big RPGs on our smartphones. Here are some of the best to play right now.

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This week Facebook revealed a new web page with details about VirtuClear Lens Inserts for Oculus Quest 2. They’re custom-made prescription lenses so you no longer need to wear glasses while in VR. They’re available starting from $80.

VirtuClear Lens Inserts for Quest 2

We’ve seen plenty of similar lens inserts from other companies over the years, such as VR Lens Lab and WIDOvr. These other companies have lens options for a wide range of headsets, including Valve Index and HP Reverb G2.

When you visit the web page on the Oculus website there’s a “Learn More” button that redirects you to a Frames Direct web page to purchase the VirtuClear Lens Inserts.

According to the product specifications on the web page, they’re available as SPH prescriptions from 0 to -8 and CYL prescriptions from 0 to -2. They’re 1.6 Hi Index Essilor lenses that are coated to minimize glare and should be easy to install by just clipping into place.

They’re marked as (L) and (R) and they just click on top of the existing headset lenses. Once they’re in, you might notice you need to slightly adjust the IPD slider since the lenses may be in a different position now relative to your pupils. Depending on your facial structure the glasses spacer that came with the Quest 2 might helps some as well.

You can get the VirtuClear Lens Inserts for your Quest 2 at a price point of about $80. For more accessory tips and recommendations for Quest 2, make sure and check out our buying guide and see our list of the best Quest games for ideas on something new to play.

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The new demo for Outriders shows a promising shooter that feels a bit stuck in the past.

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Every weekend VRFocus gathers together vacancies from across the virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) industry, in locations around the globe to help make finding that ideal job easier. Below is a selection of roles that are currently accepting applications across a number of disciplines, all within departments and companies that focus on immersive entertainment.

Location	Company	Role	Link
Remote, UK	Future Visual	UI Artist	Click Here to Apply
Remote, UK	Future Visual	Unity UI Programmer	Click Here to Apply
Newcastle, UK	Luminous	VR/AR Quality Analyst	Click Here to Apply
Remote	Luminous	Unity 3D Developer	Click Here to Apply
Remote	Luminous	Full Stack Dot Net Developer	Click Here to Apply
Remote	Luminous	3D Environmental Artist	Click Here to Apply
Utrecht, Netherlands	Talespin	Test Automation Engineer	Click Here to Apply
Los Angeles, CA	Talespin	Game System Designer	Click Here to Apply
Los Angeles, CA	Talespin	Learning Specialist (Freelance)	Click Here to Apply
Portland, OR	The Wild	Saas Account Executive	Click Here to Apply

Don’t forget, if there wasn’t anything that took your fancy this week there’s always last week’s listings on The VR Job Hub to check as well.

If you are an employer looking for someone to fill an immersive technology related role – regardless of the industry – don’t forget you can send us the lowdown on the position and we’ll be sure to feature it in that following week’s feature. Details should be sent to Peter Graham (pgraham@vrfocus.com).

We’ll see you next week on VRFocus at the usual time of 3PM (UK) for another selection of jobs from around the world.

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Last week British XR specialist Make Real announced a new partnership with construction services company Kelbray. This week the studio has revealed another, teaming up with Immerse to provide an all-in-one virtual reality (VR) training platform for their enterprise customers.

Both companies are already well-versed in providing immersive training solutions across a range of industries. The partnership will see them create a library of VR training content which enterprise organisations can access through the Immerse platform.

Initially, Make Real will add its current selection of training programmes to the platform. These will include Slinger Signaller, Site Access Traffic Marshalling, Rear Guard and D&I Perspectives VR (all Oculus Quest compatible) and End Point Assessment (for HTC Vive). All available alongside Immerse’s own VR content, covering topics such as health and safety, business development, and soft skills training.

“Since going on the road to promote our immersive experiences at events from 2014 onwards, we have always had a great, supportive relationship with Immerse, often sharing expo floors and crossovers of clients and sectors we both focus on and service within. As we move forwards into 2021 and the rapidly growing enterprise marketplace, it is the right time to formalise a strategic partnership to bring the experience and unique strengths of both companies together,” said Sam Watts, Immersive Partnerships Director at Make Real Ltd in a statement. “This will form a unified solution of a virtual reality software platform combined with engaging content, providing the best outcomes for enterprise customers of learning and measurement.”

“Partnering with Make Real is a fantastic step in our endeavour to enable all businesses to capitalise on the opportunity offered by immersive technology in a rapidly changing world. This collaborative offering will enable companies to import and deploy world-class content on a powerful platform, with minimal setup and expertise required. Immerse prides itself on delivering innovative solutions to complex challenges across businesses processes, and we hope that this will be the first of many partnerships of this nature,” Tom Symonds, CEO at Immerse adds.

Between them, they already have customers including Shell, DHL, Vodafone and Lloyds Banking Group. As the partnership continues to grow and expand its content selection, VRFocus will keep you updated.

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The PS4 has some of the best racing games ever developed ready for you to set a new course record on. We've culled the pack down to only the best of the best.

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Although much is still under wraps, Blizzard has started to reveal bits and pieces of Diablo 4. Here's everything we know about the highly anticipated title.

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These are the best cheap gaming laptop deals you can score, including picks that ring in at less than $500.

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There's a lot to consider before buying a gaming computer, but a good place to start is with a great deal.

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A tree blocks the final chest in Bravely Default 2's Hydrangea Hills zone. Here's how to get it cut.

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Not sure how to unlock the Xenomorph and Ripley Alien skins in Fortnite? In this guide, we'll show you everything you'll need to know about acquiring them.

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Want to get your hands on The Flash outfit in Fortnite? In our guide, we'll detail everything you need to know about acquiring the new cosmetics in Fortnite.

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Super Alexa Mode is a fun little secret that you can activate for a quick laugh. Here's what it is, how to make it happen, and what the secret is really about!

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Angry Birds VR: Isle of Pigs released in 2019, bringing the famed franchise into VR for the first time. Since its release, the game has received a wealth of updates and new content. But does the transition to VR bode well for the birds or does it all come crumbling down? Here’s our full Angry Birds VR review.

Angry Birds has been around since 2009, originating as a mobile game that spawned a bunch of sequels, spin-offs, merchandise and even a film series. 10 years on from the original, Resolution Games released the franchise’s first foray into VR with Angry Birds VR: Isle of Pigs. Initially just featuring 52 levels set across over four worlds, the game has received frequent free content updates over the last two years and become quite a beefy package.

In addition to the original main campaign, there’s now a set of 52  ‘spooky’ levels and a full custom level creation system, with the ability to upload, play and rate levels created by others. If you’re an Angry Birds die-hard who just got a VR headset, there’s a lot to love.

Watch Those Birds, You Dirty Pigs

For a game that originated as a 2D mobile game, the iconic Angry Birds gameplay has translated remarkably well to roomscale VR.

Much of the gameplay is similar, if not identical, in concept to the original game, with some small adjustments to take full advantage of the new medium. It’s a fantastic translation — not only is the core gameplay preserved, but it all works intuitively in virtual reality with little to no explanation needed. If you had never heard of Angry Birds before playing Isle of Pigs, you could be forgiven for thinking the game was an original concept made for VR.

For those who have been living under a rock, here’s the quick version of how almost any Angry Birds games plays out. The evil green pigs have stolen the birds’ eggs. To get them back, you’ll play through short levels that involve slingshotting birds at structures housing the pigs, with the aim of taking out all the pigs before you run out of birds. You can do this by damaging the structure and causing it to collapse, or shooting the pigs themselves. Given your limited number of birds and increasing number of pigs per structure, you’ll often want to go for the former.

The structures are made out of ice, wood and stone, and different types of birds work better against certain materials. The standard red bird is the all-rounder, while the yellow bird is effective against wood, the blue bird against ice and the explosive black bird against stone. The birds also possess power-ups that can be activated with the trigger after they’ve been shot — yellow will speed up and fly completely straight, blue will split into 3 birds heading in slightly different directions, and black can be detonated to cause explosive damage to blocks around it.

You progress to the next level by killing all the pigs, but you’re also given a 3-star rating on your performance. The less birds you use and the more of the structure you destroy, the better.

Shooting Into Roomscale VR

All of this is standard fare for any Angry Birds game. Where Isle of Pigs differs is the subtle changes it makes to enhance the experience in VR. Instead of playing 2D levels where you shoot towards a structure from one angle, Isle of Pigs gives you much more freedom. The levels consist of stunning and creative 3D structures housing the pigs, which can be approached from 2 or more different shooting angles.

There’s no right or wrong approach to the levels, but assessing all angles will often reveal secrets or weaknesses that proves useful. An alternate angle might reveal a hole that exposes a TNT block in a critical position, for example, guaranteeing a higher score.

It’s a perfect change for VR that adds a richness and depth to the strategy of the levels that’s not found in the traditional 2D versions of the game. Plus, it means that the game deftly avoids the need for almost any guardian management while playing. A common design pitfall in VR games is not considering smaller play spaces and the annoyance of constantly managing your guardian while playing, which can hinder full immersion.

By using specified shooting positions, the player almost never has to worry about the outer limits of their guardian or having to recenter it. Had Resolution Games not specified any shooting positions and encouraged players to simply walk around the circular structures of each level, the size of your play space would have an impact on your ability to enjoy the game and become fully immersed. It’s a small but absolutely sublime design choice that eliminates an annoyance prevalent in so many other VR games.

Pigging Out On Content

There’s an incredibly solid amount of content available in Isle of Pigs.

The main campaign is a quaint reintroduction to the traditional Angry Birds mechanics and gameplay. It slowly introduces each bird type as you progress through the four worlds, gradually increasing the difficulty and requiring you to think about levels and structures in new ways.

As a veteran Angry Birds player, I managed to cruise through the main campaign in about an hour with 2 or 3-star ratings on most levels. The difficulty does ramp up as you progress, but it’s definitely still pitched to someone who hasn’t played Angry Birds before, or is getting started with VR in general.

A newcomer would likely find the levels more challenging. Likewise, the target demographic for Angry Birds games has always understandably skewed to the younger side. The difficulty starts to feel appropriate when you take that into consideration as well. Nonetheless, veteran players will want a bit more of a challenge.

The second ‘spooky’ campaign that was added gradually post-launch provides a little more of a challenge. These 52 extra levels aren’t necessarily much more difficult, but they introduce some new mechanics and require you to approach things in new ways. Unlike a lot of the main campaign, there are situations where you can’t just brute force your way through. These levels often rely on one specific creative solution, which you’ll need to discover and perfectly execute in order to progress. In some cases, there’s only one method and you’ll just have to experiment until you find it.

While this does mix up the gameplay and prove more challenging, it’s not always for the better. One of the best parts of the Angry Birds formula is being able to find your own approach and feeling that wonderful ‘a-ha’ moment when you discover a flaw in a structure. Those moments make you feel smart, as if you’ve discovered a loophole in the level, even if it’s likely a carefully designed option by the developers.

This feeling is lost in some of the spooky levels, and it sometimes feels more like a puzzle game than one of strategy. Not all of them are limited in this way, but the ones that are can be a bit frustrating and less compelling. The Angry Birds physics and interaction system is also a bit wonky by nature —  a structure will never fall the same way twice, even if you use the exact same method. This can lead to some moments of confusion, unsure if you’ve not found the right solution or if something just went slightly wrong in your execution.

That being said, this is bonus campaign is clearly trying to offer something different from what came before it. Had it been more of the same, I might have felt equally disappointed. It’s still worth playing through and it’s fantastic to have extra content, the levels just have a different pace of play.

Build Your Own Chaos

One of the major post-launch editions to Angry Birds VR was the level editor, allowing you to create and share you own Angry Birds levels. The creation tools are mostly intuitive (but a duplicate attachment like the one in Gadgeteer would be a nice quality-of-life addition to speed up building) and allow you to build crazy structures with pigs abound. You can pick which 3 birds will be used in the level, along with their order, and then test it yourself before uploading the level online for others to play.

You can browse other users’ levels online, with a system in place to rank ‘hot’ levels, based off the post-game thumbs up or down rating users can give a level after finishing it.

My one gripe with the custom level system is the absence of the 3-star rating of your performance found in all ‘official’ Angry Birds levels. It’s an understandable omission — each level in the official campaign probably has the threshold for each star rating calculated manually by the developers, and can’t be done automatically — but it’s nonetheless disappointing.  The goal simply becomes to destroy all the pigs, with no motivation to go back and do better on a second attempt.

Angry Birds VR Review – Final Verdict

Angry Birds VR is a truly fantastic, intuitive VR title. For younger VR players or fans of the Angry Birds franchise, it’s an absolute perfect fit. The move to VR works seamlessly, retaining the gameplay from the original series while adding in some new VR twists that give it just enough of an edge to be different.

While I found both campaigns to be pretty easy, I think it’s important to keep the target audience in mind. Angry Birds has always been a franchise for the younger demographic and for them, this is a perfect VR game. It’s got a mix of interesting campaigns, a fun aesthetic, some challenging levels and huge creative potential with the level editor.

The main campaign itself was already a massive win for Resolution Games, but the mountain of additional free content that has been added since release makes this an absolutely fantastic package. This is a VR game that is easy to pick up and hard to put down, even if you’re an absolute beginner. Don’t sleep on it.

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For more on how we arrived at this score, see our review guidelines. What did you make of our Angry Birds VR review? Let us know in the comments below!

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VRCover is introducing another new accessory to its lineup of add-ons and replacement parts with the Oculus Quest 2 Headstrap Replacement. You can buy one right now for $24 plus shipping on the VRCover US Store (ships to US, Canada, or Mexico), EU Store, or International Store.

[When you purchase items through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission from those sales.]

Just from looking at it you can tell the main difference is that it has two back straps instead of just one, which should disperse the weight more and sort of cradle the back of your head. Stylistically, it looks more similar to the original Rift’s strap design.

We haven’t had the chance to try out this new replacement headstrap for the Quest 2, but we often recommend VRCover to people in our buying guides and in standalone VRCover reviews. I personally swear by the VRCover facial interface replacement for Quest 2 and I’ve heard good things about the controller grips. My other main comfort enhancement I use on my Quest 2 is a VR Power battery pack / counterweight.

They’re also debuting a new blue foam replacement set for the Quest 2 and a facial interface replacement similar to the existing line on Quest and Quest 2, but now for the HP Reverb G2. Or, if you’d prefer silicone, you can get one of those for the Reverb G2 as well.

You can buy the new Quest 2 Headstrap Replacement now for $24 plus shipping on the VRCover US Store (ships to US, Canada, or Mexico), EU Store, or International Store.

If you decide to get one and try it out, let us know down in the comments below!

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Nvidia debuted Resizable BAR on its RTX 3060, and its coming to other RTX 3000 cards in March, allowing gamers to get a boost in select titles.

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The weekly vendor in Destiny 2: Beyond Light offers some of the toughest loot to find, including exotic weapons and armor. Here's how to track down Xur.

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You can now save $490 on the Lenovo IdeaCentre 510A, which drops from $999 to $509 at Walmart and includes all the accessories you need.

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A Pokémon Presents presentation revealed two new games, including a brand-new open-world Pokémon action RPG.

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Final Fantasy VII Remake will be a freebie for PS Plus subscribers in March, but it can't be upgraded to Intergrade.

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Guardians is a unique hybrid VR game that melds shooter and RTS mechanics into one experience, complete with PvE and PvE modes. It’s out now on PC VR and Quest via SideQuest (App Lab submission pending) for $15, including crossplay.

We originally covered Guardians back in November and it already had a lot of promise back then. In Guardians you take on the role of an elite operative that’s responsible for protecting a galactic federation that’s mining for a powerful energy source on a strange new planet on the outer rim of the galaxy. You’ll fight off enemies not only by using a powerful arsenal of weapons, but also by setting up defenses and summoning robot companions.

One really appealing aspect of Guardians, at least based on the footage and store description, is the sheer variety of everything. There are lots of different weapons including guns and bows, as well as droids, drones, tanks, mechs, turrets, and more. Combat looks extremely hectic and reminds me a bit of Evasion. Not to mention solo, co-op, and PvP on top of it all.

You can pull out a datapad map to get a “tactical view” of the area which includes information about minerals and nearby enemies, as well as locations you can teleport to across the map. This will serve as a eagle’s eye view of the battle to manage your forces from while controlling the commander on the ground. There’s tremendous freedom of movement too including even a jetpack for hovering and gliding.

Guardians is technically in Early Access according to the Steam page and includes all primary game mechanics, six solo or co-op levels and two PvP maps across three PvP game modes. There’s also a tutorial and practice range already with seven weapons and eight enemy types.

Developers VirtualAge plan to keep Guardians in Early Access for approximately 4-6 months before flipping the switch for full launch. You can grab it for PC VR via Steam or on SideQuest for Quest/Quest 2 right now for $15. Full crossplay is supported and an App Lab release is pending.

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In another one of his increasingly-frequent Instagram AMAs, Facebook’s Vice President of Augmented and Virtual Reality Andrew ‘Boz’ Bosworth hinted at the potential of a new Quest Pro model and discussed other upcoming features.

One user posed a question to Bosworth that read “Why can’t Oculus make a 600$ headset and put the best specs like Quest Pro 3 etc plz.” Bosworth then said “Quest Pro, huh… Interesting…” and gave a wink to the camera.

While Quest Pro is an interesting prospect and clearly a teasing response, it shouldn’t be seen as confirmation of the idea. Nonetheless, Facebook claims that Quest 2 is heading toward mainstream acceptance while aggressively targeting a low price for a gaming product that people desire. It is certainly possible now that the market is proven Facebook could consider differentiating the line with a higher specification model.

Bosworth also responded to a question asking if there were “any plans for implementing eye tracking on Oculus Quest.” He said that eye tracking is a “super interesting” area that Facebook has been researching for a long time, and that “it’s something we will fit into some future headset.” He then pointed out one of the major benefits of eye tracking technology is that you can “dramatically improve performance by only rendering things that are in the field of view of the fovea.”

“I’m certainly glad they’re making one,” said Bosworth in regards Sony’s confirmation of a next generation headset. “PSVR was such a tremendous hit and was a huge place for our developers to make cash and I hope PSVR 2 is as well.”

Bosworth also touched on app sharing, a new Quest feature, and why it isn’t currently available for Beat Saber. “One thing that is very tricky, as it relates to Beat Saber and other music-oriented software, is licensing and how that licensing model works. So we are still looking at this and we will let you know more when we have it.”

In regards to Virtual Desktop’s PC VR streaming returning to the official Oculus Store earlier this week, Bosworth said that after being “super conservative” about quality control of store content when Quest first launched, they’re now “putting more and more control into the hands of consumers.” He also noted that “so many people” were sideloading the alternate version of Virtual Desktop through SideQuest that bringing it back to the official store was now “kind of a no-brainer.”

You can participate in future AMAs over on Bosworth’s Instagram account, @boztank.

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Normally VRFocus’ Friday roundup of videogames to come doesn’t include today, but with slim pickings next week it was necessary to take some artistic licence. Even so, here are five virtual reality (VR) titles set to launch in the coming days.

BoomBox – Cyberspline Games Inc

Ok, so BoomBox is the first of two titles that are actually launching today. A rhythm-action experience by Cyberspline Games Inc hitting Steam Early Access, grab those digital drum sticks across 16 songs plus there are a further 100 pre-cleared songs for users to create their own maps using the editor.

• Supported platforms: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Windows Mixed Reality & Valve Index
• Launch date: 26th February

Arden’s Wake – Penrose Studios

An animated short from Penrose Studios, Arden’s Wake features Alicia Vikander (Tomb Raider, Ex Machina) and Richard Armitage (The Hobbit) as the voice cast. Already an award winner picking up the Lion for Best VR at the Venice Film Festival, Arden’s Wake is the story of a young woman who embarks on a dangerous journey in a post-apocalyptic world.

• Supported platforms: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive & Valve Index
• Launch date: 26th February

Z-Race – XOCUS

For adrenaline fans who love to hurtle around futuristic tracks really fast, XOCUS’ upcoming Z-Race looks to be all that and more. Another Early Access title, Z-Race features 10 anti-gravity racers and 12 tracks across four terrains and an asynchronous global multiplayer mode.

• Supported platforms: Oculus Rift, HTC Vive & Valve Index
• Launch date: 2nd March

Stargaze – Played With Fire

A relaxing puzzle title set among the stars, Stargaze originally launched via Steam for PC VR headsets and now it’s Oculus Store’s turn. Inspired by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s early 20th-Century novella The Little Prince, Stargaze is an interstellar journey where you play an astronomer observing life on other planets, each one a puzzle to solve using your telescope.

• Supported platforms: Oculus Rift (Oculus Store)
• Launch date: 4th March

The Climb 2 – Crytek

Time for the big VR title of the week, Crytek’s The Climb 2. Originally slated for a 2020 launch on Oculus Quest 2, this sequel will have you clambering up mountains and the side of buildings in no time. Alongside new maps are new features likes dynamic objects such as ropes and ladders that react to your weight.

• Supported platforms: Oculus Quest
• Launch date: 4th March

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Oculus Quest and SteamVR’s latest cooking game sees you serving up steamy ramen.

Counter Fight Ichiran is available on both platforms now for $13.49 developed by Tricol. It’s the latest entry in the strangely long-running and VR exclusive Counter Fight series (which is up to its fourth mainline edition with multiple spin-offs such as this) and the first to reach Quest. Ichiran itself is a real life chain of restaurants founded in Fukuoka in 1960. In the game, you become an official employee of the brand and need to prepare the different elements of a dish and serve them up on time.

If you’re familiar with other VR games like Cook-Out then you’ll pretty much know what that means; keeping your cool as you assemble different dishes without getting your mind in a muddle. But Ichiran also judges players by the standard of presentation in their dishes. Check it out in the trailer below. Wholesome, no?

The game’s single-player only, with no multiplayer modes, which seems like a bit of a missed opportunity. Instead you’ll be aiming for high scores and taking in the atmosphere, which Tricol says has been authentically replicated for VR. If you’re looking for other VR cook-offs then we definitely recommend Cook-Out’s cooperative campaign antics.

Counter Fight Ichiran isn’t the only new Quest and SteamVR game out this week. We also saw the full launch of multiplayer VR shooter, Hyper Dash and a Quest version of horror shooter, Crashland. Are you going to be picking anything up this week? Let us know in the comments below!

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A Wake Inn is a deeply creepy and tense VR horror game with some clever puzzles, but ultimately the tedium and laborious (albeit immersive) controls get in the way of the fun and fright just a bit. Here’s our full A Wake Inn review!

The elevator pitch for A Wake Inn is a bit odd. But then again, if you were to describe the concept behind most VR games, it wouldn’t really click if you didn’t put the headset on and try them for yourself.

One major downside to this focus on ‘immersive’ design is that it’s just finnicky and inaccurate due in large part to the limitations of current VR hardware. Since you have to put your hands down by your sides sometimes my Quest 2 wasn’t able to see what they were doing so well. Naturally, an outside-in headset like an HTC Vive, Index, or Rift CV1 would avoid this issue. Also, turning is difficult to do reliably. If you spend enough time in a real wheelchair you eventually get the hang of rotating the wheels to turn the chair, but it’s not as fluid as I’d have liked in VR.

When you start running into the enemies that roam around the Silver Inn Hotel some of the cleverness of the design starts to fade away. If you need to quickly escape the joystick movement is a bit too slow for my taste and the wheel movement isn’t quite reliable enough. Panic sets in and it’s easy to get frustrated. Plus, the animation quality on the creepy adult-sized doll creatures just isn’t up to the same standards as the rest of the game’s visuals, so a lot of the terror dissipates when they get close.

Unfortunately, that focus on tension and stealth doesn’t remain at the center of the game for very long. You’ll eventually find weapons to defend yourself, but it doesn’t take long for everything to start shifting towards more of an action game. The ingredients are here for things to remain creepy, but the encounter design and flow of enemies is more like canon fodder than actually intelligent creatures stalking you through the halls.

After the opening couple of hours there’s no reason to be thoughtful about how you progress through rooms since you’re encouraged to just bash enemies to death quickly and get it over with. If the combat was more nuanced or interesting it would have been less tedious, but it’s all pretty one-note here.

A Wake Inn Review – Final Verdict

VR Bros has the pieces for something really great with A Wake Inn, but just falters in stringing things together in a way that remains compelling. The core design ideas are fantastic in terms of how you move through the world, interact with the environment, solve basic puzzles, and creep through the halls, but that thoughtful nature is discarded once a weapon is in your hand and the once terrifying mannequins are just combat dummies waiting to be mauled. A Wake Inn isn’t as terrifying as it could have been, but it’s still an interesting look at some clever VR mechanics others could learn from.

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This review was conducted using a SteamVR copy of the game on Quest 2 wirelessly via Virtual Desktop. For more on how we arrived at this score, read our review guidelines.

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A Wake Inn is available for PC VR headsets on Steam as of today. You can find more details about A Wake Inn over on the Steam page.

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Facebook is continuing to make it easier to use the Oculus Quest platform without the need for controllers. The hand tracking is improving in the menu and can even be used in more apps, whilst voice commands off quick access to a variety of features. Now, that latter option is being taken a step further with the “Hey Facebook” wake word.

Instead of having to activate Voice Commands from the home menu or by double-pressing the Oculus controller button, users simply say “Hey Facebook” followed by whatever command the like. Whether that’s “Hey Facebook, take a screenshot” or “Hey Facebook, open Beat Saber,” it’s another way to make the Oculus Quest platform more accessible.

The option is beginning its roll out under the ‘experimental features’ section, just for Oculus Quest 2 owners at the moment. So they can choose whether to continually say “Hey Facebook…” to use their device. An Oculus Blog post does note: “that Quest doesn’t listen for the “Hey Facebook” wake word when the microphone is turned off, or when the headset is asleep or powered down.” In time the feature will be rolled out to Oculus Quest owners as well.

As you’re probably aware Facebook loves to collect data and does so with voice commands to improve the service. To help protect your privacy: “You can easily view, hear, and delete your voice commands activity at any time or even turn off voice storage in your Settings, while still taking advantage of the Voice Commands feature.”

Being able to say “Hey Facebook” might sound like an awesome feature you want to try straight away. However, not only is it seeing a gradual roll out but it’s likely only available in the US. This is because the normal Voice Command is only available stateside with English selected as the default language. As yet there’s no update on further territory implementation. If that happens VRFocus will update this article.

Oculus Quest does have plenty of other options to play with like being able to highlight your sofa or being able to set up Multi-User Accounts and App Sharing. As further updates are released, VRFocus will let you know.

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A seemingly accidental leak from PlayStation itself suggests PSVR exclusive shooter Farpoint will be included in March’s PlayStation Plus line-up.

Plus is Sony’s console subscription service that grants access to online multiplayer and a catalogue of free titles launched monthly. This coming month’s selection was just posted on the official PlayStation Netherlands Facebook page before swiftly being removed again. But not before people saved the accompanying image, of course. Oops. Just keep in mind there could be some changes before a proper announcement then.

But, if things don’t change, Farpoint will debut alongside Final Fantasy VII Remake, Maquette and Remnant from the Ashes. Released in 2017 and developed by Impulse Gear, Farpoint is a sci-fi shooter in which players find themselves stranded on an alien planet. They must try and fight their way off world in a single-player campaign, with some small multiplayer modes also available.

We were quite fond of the game, awarding it 7/10 in our original review, though it definitely suffered from simplistic design and other issues. However, while it’s great to see Farpoint go on the list of monthly games, we can’t stress enough that you should really track down a PlayStation Aim controller if you intended to play it. The game was designed with the rifle-shaped device in mind and, while you can play it with motion tracking on a DualShock 4, the experience is far superior with the proper tools in-hand.

It’s been a little while since Sony included a PSVR exclusive title in the PS Plus line-up. Last month saw Concrete Genie and its add-on mode go free, but the company has never included VR titles on a monthly basis. That said, we’re usually used to getting three titles in a Plus line-up; could the addition of a fourth suggest we might get new VR titles from here on out? It would certainly be a great way to build up to the launch of the recently-announced new PS5 VR headset, so here’s hoping.

Will you be trying out Farpoint on PS Plus? Let us know in the comments below!

 

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Psychic VR Lab, the Japanese studio behind XR content creation app STYLY has announced the successful completion of a new funding round. The company managed to raise $8.5 million USD (¥900m JPY) from several key investors to help with its global expansion of the platform.

The round was led by KDDI Open Innovation Fund No. 3 (operated by Global Brain Co., Ltd.) and also featured DG Ventures Co., Ltd., DG Daiwa Ventures Co., Ltd., and DK Gate Co., Ltd. among others. This brings Psychic VR Lab’s total funding to approximately $18 million.

With the investment Psychic VR Lab will be expanding its team to help promote and commercialise STYLY. Thus bringing more creators onboard to showcase how the platform can be used for virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) content creation.

“The XR creative platform STYLY provided by Psychic VR Lab creates a high-quality XR space using only a web browser and enables instant distribution to devices such as smartphones, which will become the norm in the future. We expect that STYLY will become a driving force,” said Kazuhiko Chuman, General Manager of Business Incubation Development Department at KDDI CORPORATION in a statement. “In order to strengthen our products through joint commercialization of KDDI and the provision of 5G-related technology, we will work together to create a future in which XR will become commonplace.” 

STYLY launched in 2017 as a web platform specifically tailored to VR experiences. A cloud-based solution, creators can use STYLY for any number of immersive projects which are promoted every year as part of the NEWVIEW Awards. Psychic VR Lab added AR support last summer, greatly expanding STYLY’s functionality.

“Psychic VR Lab is a top runner in the industry promoting the conversion of lifestyle interfaces to XR,” adds Masahiko Maekawa, DG Ventures Co., Ltd. Board Director. “In the XR industry, it seems that there were many hardware makers related to VR / AR, but it is impressive that Psychic VR Lab has developed an XR platform aiming for an OS in the XR era.

The company continues to expand its brand through various partnerships. Most recent of which was a collaboration with Nreal for the MR music exhibition, “AGARTHA,” at MWC Shanghai 2021. As STYLY continues its expansion, VRFocus will keep you updated.

via Mint VR

Love Star Wars and pinball? Well, you’re in luck because Zen Studios has announced its next virtual reality (VR) videogame, Star Wars Pinball VR, and it’s set to hit all major headsets in April.

The original Star Wars Pinball launched back in 2013, with tables based on several of the films from the iconic franchise. Star Wars Pinball VR brings those tables into VR for the first time whilst adding new content to keep the title up to date with the expanding sci-fi universe.

There will be eight tables in total, two of them completely new. First up is The Mandalorian table based on the hit Disney+ TV show. The design focuses on the first season, where you can pick up bounties, rescue the child and meet characters like IG-11 and Moff Gideon. The other new table is called ‘Classic Collectibles’. As missions are completed you’ll collect classic Star Wars action figures which come alive in the process.

Ensuring a full VR fan service, all the mini-games have been upgraded to offer Total Immersion mode. When a mini-game starts you’ll be shrunk down onto the table so sequences like the speeder bike chase are as immersive as possible.

As for the other six tables these are:

• Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
• Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
• Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
• Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
• Star Wars Rebels
• Star Wars: Masters of the Force.

It’s not just exciting interactive tables Star Wars Pinball VR offers. Being a VR title all the tables are housed in a Star Wars fan cave which can be customised with helmets, blasters, lightsabers, and other items collected by playing the tables. Zen Studios has also teased more content for future updates, saying: “the game is built to be expanded upon so the blast doors are certainly open for more content!”

Zen Studios’ Star Wars Pinball VR is set to launch on 29th April 2021 supporting Oculus Quest, PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and Valve Index. Check out the trailer below and for any further updates keep reading VRFocus.

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More details on Overwatch 2 are coming, which will hopefully answer many of the lingering questions about the game. In the meantime, here's everything we know.

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The free demo for Outriders just dropped, and if you pre-order the game now, you get $10 in Best Buy rewards.

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Destiny 2 has cross-save, and it has for a while, but is Destiny 2 crossplay compatible? Here's everything we know about cross-platform support.

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Treyarch's Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 touts one of the most diverse Zombie modes ever released. Here are a few tips and tricks for staying alive in this mode.

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There are several different types of weapons in Valheim, but they are far from equal in terms of power. Here are all the best weapons you can get in the game.

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Final Fantasy VII is getting two new mobile games, including a battle royale and a second remake.

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Stuck on Fortnite's season 5, week 13 challenges? In our guide, we highlight all of the new challenges and provide guides on getting through the tricky ones.

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Here's every single announcement from Sony's February State of Play stream.

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When you pit an optical mouse versus a laser mouse, you might not know the differences. Which one is the best pick for you and why? Our guide will show you!

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According to multiple unnamed sources, VGC reports that Sony Japan Studio is shutting down and spinning off ASOBI Team (the Astro Bot devs) into a new standalone studio. The news comes mere days after the confirmation of a next-generation PSVR designed for PS5.

Sony Japan Studio is one of Sony’s longest-running internal studios with decades of experience dating back to the PS1, but they’re mostly known in the VR world for their work on The Playroom VR and Astro Bot: Rescue Mission, in the ASOBI Team division. They also provided support on Everybody’s Golf VR, Deracine, and The Last Guardian VR experience.

In the report from VGC, their sources say that the studio is currently winding down and it seems legitimate. Several key members of the studio have departed in recent months. According to source, the studio hasn’t been profitable in recent years and changes in leadership hadn’t helped recently. A Bloomberg report from late last year mentioned expiring contracts and the studio falling out of the spotlight of focus for the PlayStation brand.

There is of course precedence for this sort of thing happening. Last year, almost a year ago exactly in fact, it was revealed that the mysterious UK-based studio Sony founded to work on a “AAA” PSVR game was shut down before its project was even revealed. When Evolution Studios closed, DriveClub VR was shut down and pulled from the PlayStation Store. A similar situation occurred with Starblood Arena. And of course Guerilla Cambridge, the developers behind RIGS: Mechanized Combat League, was shut down shortly after the game first launched on PSVR.

While this is unfortunate news for one of the most storied Sony studios with a stable of talented developers, the good news seems to be that ASOBI Team is living on in its wake wit hopefully more resources to continue building Astro Bot games.

Let us know what you think down in the comments below! We’ve reached out to Sony for comment and will update this story if we hear back.

via Mint VR